| dc.description.abstract | The United States between the First and Second World War was a nation going through unprecedented change. Relatively unaffected by the destruction and shared trauma of the first world war, but yet emerging as victor, it found itself in a unique position in the world. Yet not all was peaceful in this new post war world, communists in Russia and fascists in Italy were something the world had yet to see. The rise of 20th century totalitarianism rose up the ashes of the shattered battlefield that was Europe. Yet, American prospered to such an extent that it would become known popularly as “the roaring twenties”. Standard of living in the United States grew quickly in the wake of the war as goods and entertainment became more readily available. The roaring twenties were however not without its flaws, with a rise in living standards came increased immigration, and with it those who few who resisted them. Groups such as the racist KKK reached unimaginable heights during the twenties, and immigration reform would be put in place. This unprecedented state of development would end abruptly in 1929 when the stock market crashed, and the United States would enter the great depression. With this crash came lower standards of living and the people began looking for different alternatives. Some looked to Roosevelt and his new deal, while some blamed “the other” such as the Jews, immigrants, or Catholics. At the same time new ideologies in Europe blossomed, Nazism and Fascism, these terrible ideologies brought a veil of security and prosperity, appealing to some few Americans. American Fascists would begin to rise up all across the country, some adapting from the racists and religious past of the nation, while others embraced the old world. During this time news coverage of these groups and developments would be widespread and the public were eager to learn about what occurred in the nation. Two large sources of news TIME magazine and the New York Times were popular and served as an easy access to information. This paper looks at these two media houses to see how they contributed to the failure of American Fascism. We will see that not only were there little to no chance for the success of Fascism to succeed in America, but that the media played a pivotal role in its failure. | eng |